The WaPo piece on Alito is not quite as favorable as some readers might think, because Brad Reynolds is a long time liberal bete noire. To be praised by Reynolds is to be bitterly damned, in their book. I do think the WaPo is making an effort to be nicer to the Bush administration, however, and Alito is clearly not Machiavelli. In fact, he strikes me as the epitome of a good honest judge, and not as dull as he looks. He is very careful, like your tennis opponent who seems to have an hour to study the ball before he hits it. The Democrats on the Judiciary committee seem to be just going through the motions, with no expectation whatever of defeating him. This was a superb appointment.